--- title: "The Wife: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-wife/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-wife" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Wife (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 21 reviews: 17 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find The Wife absorbing, with praise concentrated on Glenn Close’s restrained performance as Joan. The reviews repeatedly single out her small changes of expression and quiet reactions, which convey resentment, loyalty and strength without spelling everything out. Jonathan Pryce also earns praise, particularly for the convincing sense of accumulated affection and friction between the couple; for many critics, their scenes together give a familiar marriage drama its emotional force. The disagreement concerns how well the writing and direction support that acting. Reservations cluster around predictable revelations, obvious or sluggish flashbacks and a conclusion that some find overstretched or unconvincing. Most reviews remain positive despite those weaknesses, but Slant Magazine offers a sharper dissent, arguing that conventional morality and unnecessary subplots weaken the central drama. Even that review praises Close, making her performance the clearest point of agreement across an otherwise fairly broad spread of responses. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2017. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the film smart, entertaining and supremely watchable. He especially praises Glenn Close’s subtle, controlled performance as Joan. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/12/the-wife-review-glenn-close-brilliant-toronto-film-festival-tiff-2017) ## Vulture — Emily Yoshida Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2018. The critic finds the marriage drama wrenching and says its climactic revelations feel earned. She singles out Glenn Close’s exquisitely realized performance and the lived-in chemistry between Close and Jonathan Pryce. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/movie-review-the-wife-glenn-close.html) ## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman Rating 4/5. 28 September 2018. Norman praises the film as a showcase for Glenn Close, while finding its climax overlong and too predictable. He singles out Close’s precise, expressive performance as the film’s overwhelming strength. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-wife-review-glenn-close-should-be-seventh-time-lucky-at-the-oscars-for-this-star-turn-a3948036.html) ## Little White Lies — Manuela Lazic Rating 3/4/4. 27 September 2018. Lazic praises the film as an intelligent drama that respects its disempowered heroine. She singles out Glenn Close’s enigmatic performance and the layered portrayal of Joan’s strength and choices. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-wife) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 4/5. 18 August 2018. Smith finds the film absorbing, praising Glenn Close’s performance as the titular wife. She highlights the marriage’s pressures of fame, neediness and revenge. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-wife) ## Empire — David Hughes Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2018. The review is positive, finding the film gripping when its lead actors share the screen. It singles out Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce’s performances for praise, while noting that the flashbacks lose energy. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wife-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2018. Turan finds the intimate marriage drama compelling despite an uncertain premise and some unconvincing plot reveals. He especially praises Glenn Close’s masterful, restrained performance and the strong acting that sustains the film. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-wife-review-20180815-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Sheila O'Malley Rating 3/4. 16 August 2018. O'Malley finds the film compelling, with Glenn Close's performance as its standout. Her work gives the story of a wife confronting her husband's success and their shared past its emotional force. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-wife-2018) ## The New Yorker — Michael Schulman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2018. Schulman finds the film an effective feminist parable, though its flashbacks are too obvious and its conclusion strains credibility. He particularly praises Glenn Close’s expressive restraint and ability to convey Joan’s ambiguity and will. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/glenn-close-grabs-the-limelight-in-the-wife) ## IndieWire — Ben Croll Rating B-. 17 September 2017. Festival review. Croll finds the drama predictable and sedate, but considers Glenn Close exquisite. He singles out her tour-de-force performance of quiet reactions and subtle facial expressions for praise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-wife-review-glenn-close-tiff-1201877245/) ## Sight and Sound — Kate Stables Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 2018. Stables finds the film prosaic but absorbing, with a richly acted portrayal of a marriage strained by resentment and unequal recognition. She especially praises Glenn Close’s complex, restrained performance as Joan. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-wife-glenn-close-glowers-shadow-her-prize-lesser-half) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B-. 15 August 2018. The review finds the film’s familiar setup and heavy-handed symbolism are elevated by Glenn Close’s performance. It singles out her tightly controlled portrayal of Joan as extraordinary and the film’s greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-wife-is-sick-and-tired-of-coddling-male-genius-1828344443) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jon Frosch Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2017. Festival review. Frosch finds the film ordinary but compelling because Glenn Close’s performance elevates it. He particularly praises her restrained, emotionally layered portrayal, while criticizing the direction as unimaginative. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wife-review-1039862/) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2018. The review is positive about the film, with Glenn Close’s performance singled out for praise. The accessible page text is unavailable, so further specifics of the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/movies/the-wife-review.html) ## Variety — Andrew Barker Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2017. Festival review. Barker finds the film solid but overly familiar, and says it never matches Glenn Close’s performance. He singles out Close’s layered portrayal of Joan and her charged scene with Christian Slater for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/toronto-film-review-the-wife-1202560848/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2017. Festival review. The review’s verdict is unavailable in the accessible page. No specific praise or complaint is visible. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-wife-toronto-review/5122311.article) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Rating 3/5. The critic describes it as a slow-burning drama that picks up at the Nobel Prize ceremony. The available review text highlights the tension around Joan’s loyalty and the biographer’s pursuit of the story. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ja2f3h/the-wife/) ## Slant Magazine — Diego Semerene Rating 1.5/4. 13 August 2018. Semerene finds the film weak, saying its conventional morality tale and unnecessary subplots dilute its central drama. He praises Glenn Close’s expressive performance, which conveys Joan’s anger and grief more subtly than the screenplay does. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-wife/) ## The Skinny — Kirsty Leckie-Palmer Rating ★★★★. 29 January 2019. The critic calls the film a superb, thought-provoking character study. They single out Glenn Close’s brilliant performance as its anchor. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-wife) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2018. The critic finds the film compelling, with an intimate portrait of a marriage and professional partnership. Close and Pryce are singled out for making the couple’s accumulated affection and resentment feel lived-in. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/wife-film-review-glenn-close-steps-famous-husbands-shadow/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2017. Festival review. Wilkinson finds the film familiar in places but ultimately rewarding, with its emotional journey mattering more than its destination. She especially praises Glenn Close’s nuanced performance and Runge’s patient camera work. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-wife-2017-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-wife.md